Unexpected Distraction
by raeni18
Summary: Post-Season 3 (three months later): Jack finds himself distracted by a woman, unexpectedly, his former boss' daughter. Is he prepared for another relationship after a failed one with Kate?
1. Chapter 1

Saturday morning

Jack stood on his balcony, his hands stretched on the rails as he kept staring ahead at the rising sun. It was one week ago since the incident in Santa Barbara. This past week has been uneventful at CTU, and that made matters worse for him since hardly a day went by that he didn't think of Rachel. He had called and wanted to see her after that day to find out how she was, but she had to leave town for a few days.

If Richard Walsh had been alive today, he wondered what he would have thought about him dating his daughter. Would he approve? Maybe not, the last thing a father wants for his daughter is another agent like him. He remembered how Walsh used to talk about her. They rarely saw each other because of her job in Geneva, but they were close. Her mother died of cancer when she was young. He remembered meeting Rachel the first time during the funeral; Walsh's funeral came 2 days after Teri's. Those days have been most difficult; he was swollen with grief, anger and loneliness.

He went back inside and looked for the note where he scribbled her number, then he grabbed his cell phone on the table. He pressed some keys and was about to hit the green button (to call), but he turned it off instead.

He was almost content living alone. But he wasn't certain if he could find himself again in a relationship especially after Kate. It had been hard for Kate to accept that he hadn't quite gotten over Teri. She had wanted something much more than he could give. Time. Commitment. He was hardly fulfilling the first one; he wasn't ready for the latter.

Then, the days before he went undercover for Mexico had been extremely difficult; it was hard to keep it all from her. How could he promise what she had wanted to hear when he himself didn't know if he would make it out alive or not? The absence of an explanation for his incomprehensible behavior drove them farther apart; there was no one to blame but himself. What had she said to him? He recalled ...

"Jack, you have to let me know what's going on. I feel that there's somebody else in this house. I've waited, Jack, but I don't know what's happening. You never wanted to tell me. Your heart, your mind seems to be stuck somewhere else."

He couldn't lie, it was so true. He eventually broke it off; he thought it was best for both of them. She had called him just a month ago to tell him that she was getting married. He felt happy for her. No longer haunted by the 'ghosts' from his past, somehow, he felt much more at peace now.

Thoughts of leaving his job, had crossed his mind many times. How many more lives would he dare ruin because of this job? He felt that when the right time comes, he could be content with a desk job at CTU or some place else ... but now is not that time yet. Some days, he couldn't deny that he longed for company, someone to laugh with, someone who'd eagerly wait for him, someone to wake up to. He felt empty ... detached from everyone. Isn't this what he wanted?

Just then, the phone rang interrupting his thoughts. He walked over to where the phone was, and picked it up.

"This is Bauer." his automatic response came. "Uh... Hello." he quickly added.

"Jack? It's Rachel."

"Oh hi, how are you? So you're back." he replied, hoping that it didn't sound too eager.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to call you sooner. I have been busy these past few days. I still owe you, remember?"

"No, you don't owe me anything." Jack replied.

"Yeah, right." She chuckled softly. "Listen, I'm on way out to my Aunt's bookshop in town. I'll be free sometime lunch today. Do you have any plans?" Rachel asked.

"Well, no, I can certainly meet you for lunch today." he said, smiling.

"That's great. Can we meet at JW Burton Books around 12:00 noon? It's on George St." she said, relief in her voice.

"Yeah, I know where that is."

"All right, see you later then." she said, then hung up.

Jack hung up the phone, with a grin on his face. He felt excited, like a teenager on his first date with the most popular girl in school. Leaning back against the couch, he grabbed the morning paper and started to read aimlessly.

After a brief moment, he checked the time, it was 11:00. He decided to take a shower and go early. If she's busy, he can hang out at the book shop and wait.

He slid the doors of his closet, and looked for something to wear. He grabbed his favorite pair of jeans, and a gray shirt. When he looked himself at the mirror, he thought, no, this is kind of dull-looking. He quickly took it off and grabbed a white shirt. Checking himself again, he thought it was much better.

Moments later, he was on George Street looking for JW Burton Books. It was a few feet away, so he scanned the street for a parking spot. There was a red sedan that just pulled away, so he drove closer and parked on the same spot.

It had a green awning and from outside he could see that there was a sitting area by the windows. He pulled the door open and stepped inside the bookshop. A woman in her 50's was at the register who greeted him, "Good morning!"

"Good morning." He greeted back. "I'm looking for Rachel, is she here?" He asked a bit shyly.

She smiled and replied. "Rachel? She'll be in the back, where the children section is, that will be towards the right side." she paused. "But she's busy reading to the kids right now. It will be a few more minutes before she's through. You can wait over there if you want." She said as she pointed to the sitting area.

"Thank you." He replied as he looked at the sitting area where a lone man was reading a book. He decided to check out where Rachel was reading instead.

What he saw next amazed him; Rachel was reading to the kids. They were a bunch of 4-5 year old kids. He felt a tug at his heart because he realized his unborn child would have been about this age if Teri hadn't died.

Rachel closed the book and spoke to the kids, "Okay now, we'll take a little break. Janet here will sing our song with you, then, we'll read one final story."

She looked up and saw Jack standing by one of the bookshelves, looking so handsome. She smiled and waved at him, feeling a little weak all of a sudden; like there were butterflies in her stomach. She couldn't remember how long it's been since she felt this way before towards a man. Oh God! Stop it, Rach! She scolded herself. He's already taken. She's one lucky woman, whoever she is. What was her name? She tried to remember that phone call he had made that 'day', how he called her 'honey' … Kim, yes, that was her name. She stood up and walked over to Jack.

"Hi Jack." She said as Jack gave her a hug.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you" Jack apologized.

"Oh no, we always take a little break, sing a song, then read another book." She paused as she looked at them singing. "Our theme today is about lions." She looked at him, and saw an excited glint in his blue eyes.

"Hey, do you want to read the last one?" she asked.

"Really? I haven't done this before, but I'd love to." He gushed, feeling like he was thrown in a different world. He'd never been in the company of kids this many. All of a sudden, he felt ashamed for being so detached from this world.

Rachel walked in front of the kids with Jack behind her as she introduced him. The kids were all sitting on the floor along with their moms, dads or grandparents.

Jack sat down, opened the book and started reading. The kids giggled when he read the first lion growl, he thought it was way too meek for a lion. So when the next growl came, he made it louder to the kids' delight. When it was all over, one young boy approached him.

"That was fun, Mister. Miss Rachel doesn't growl like that. Are you going to read to us again next time?" the little boy asked.

He chuckled and said, "Well, I don't know. We'll have to ask Miss Rachel about that, okay."

"Oh, please, pretty, pretty please?" the boy pleaded.

Rachel approached them and overheard what was going on. "Chad, I'd love to have him over too, but we'll see, okay?" she said as she placed her hand on his shoulders. He nodded disappointingly. "Your mom's calling you now. See you next week, Chad." She kissed him on the cheeks and ruffled his hair as he ran to his mother.

"That's my friend's son." She turned to Jack and caught him gazing at her. She quickly turned her gaze and continued, "So, let's get going then."

He blushed and felt embarassed for staring staring at her.

She led him towards the counter where the registers were. "I'd like you to meet someone."

"Josie, I'd like you to meet Jack. Jack Bauer. Jack, this is my aunt, my Dad's sister."

"It's nice to meet you Jack." Josie peered through her glasses. Richard had told her about him before, but she never had a face to that name till today. She was surprised that he was an attractive man.

"Nice to meet you too, Josie."

"We'll just grab some lunch at Ferrelli's and be back later." Rachel said, turning to leave.

"Oh, get me some of those …" Josie paused and looked at Jack who was already at the door. "Never mind, I'll just ask Janet to get it for me." She said as she winked at Rachel.

Rachel could only guess what's going on in her Aunt's mind. Aunt Josie found it hard to believe that her beautiful niece was still without a boyfriend. It has been two and a half years already since her husband died; she had wanted her to move on so badly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A middle-aged lady greeted them enthusiastically at the door of the restaurant.

"Table for two, Rachel?" she said in Italian.

"Si, Signora." Rachel replied.

The lady led them to a table by the windows, and handed them their menus. Rachel already knew what to order so she didn't even bother to open it. There was something about the way he looked, tough yet sweet, that gave her a little jolt. Attraction, definitely. Even as she recognized the feeling, she reminded herself that it was something she's not too sure she could or wanted to feel again.

"So what can you recommend, Rachel?" Jack looked up and smiled warmly.

"Their pizzas here are to die for, as well as their lasagna. But I'll recommend Taglioni with Rock Shrimp, that's heavenly."

"Okay, I'll get that then."

"You seem to have a knack for languages. Do you speak Italian as well?" Jack asked as he cocked his eyebrow.

Oh God! What a gorgeous image! she thought, noting the amused glint in his eyes. "Oh no, I just learned a few phrases from Marcela, the lady who met us at the door. It's not always easy."

"Yeah I know. I studied French too, when I was in college."

"Oh really?" she asked curiously. "Tell me about it." She said, eager to hear him speak French. She found it hard to believe that this was the same Jack she met a couple of weeks ago. He seemed more relaxed, and the unmistakeable sparkle in his blue eyes made him all the more so attractive.

He hesitated but continued anyway. "Well, I was with a friend who was French-Canadian and we were at this French restaurant." he paused.

"We were ordering drinks, I was trying to impress her, so I spoke to the waiter in French ... Un Coca avec garÇon, s'il vous plait." he continued, starting to laugh. His French accent was good, she mused.

"I knew I made an idiot of myself, the moment I saw their faces. They were trying to stop themselves from laughing in front of me, because I looked so damn serious. God, I was so embarrassed." he laughed.

Rachel was laughing already since she clearly knew what it meant. It literally meant 'A Coke with boy, please', when he should have said, 'Un Coca avec glace', glace means ice.

"So did they try to get your Coke the way you ordered?" she teased, giggling.

"Yeah right." Jack chuckled. "I didn't attempt any French since then."

That broke the ice, so throughout their lunch, they talked more comfortably about their college days, how they started their first job ... Jack at SWAT school and how he joined the US Army, his training mishaps ... Rachel at the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, her struggles with the language, the culture and her misadventures at work.

He briefly mentioned that he met Teri shortly before finishing college, how they got married early and had a daughter at a young age (without telling her name). She also talked about how she met her husband in Geneva, when she used to work at UNHCR. But no words were spoken about how their spouses died. She already knew how Teri was killed much later on that same day her father died; a friend of her father's had told her that it was a CTU agent who killed Jack's wife, so she's not even going to go there. Horrible, she thought.

She couldn't bring herself to talk about how her husband died; she had desperately wanted to forget about it but it was too painful to relive the memories again.

They decided they might as well finish the wine; it was a very good Chianti ... which probably explained why he felt more relaxed than he had in weeks. No, months, maybe years.

He had never felt this good in a long time; there was something about her that he couldn't quite pinpoint. She was an attractive woman; her brown eyes matched her brown, wavy, shoulder-length hair. She was about three inches shorter than him. And if he could recall correctly, Walsh had told him that she was four or five years younger than him.

"Jack, I had a nice time. Thanks for coming." Rachel said as they stepped out of the restaurant.

"I had a great time too." He smiled looking at her eyes that genuinely showed how pleased she was.

Just then, a ringing cell phone interrupted them. Both looked for each other's cell phones, then Rachel spoke, "It's yours."

He pulled out his cell phone, glancing at the caller ID, it was Kim.

"Will you excuse me?" Jack asked as he stepped aside.

"Sure, go ahead."

"Yes, Kim."

Rachel heard him say her name again, and she immediately felt a pang of jealousy.

"Dad? Where are you? I thought you're going to be home. Did you forget?" Kim said worriedly. She had already told him yesterday about her doctor's appointment. And since Chase was at CTU today, there's no one to look after Angela, the babysitter couldn't make it till two hours later.

"Christ!" he looked at his watch, it was almost two o'clock. "No, I didn't. I'll be there in half an hour, okay? See you in a bit." he spoke tenderly as he shut his cell phone off.

Walking over to Rachel, he said. "I almost forgot, I have an appointment."

"Oh, sorry if I kept you …" she said.

"No, it's nothing like that. That's my daughter. I promised to babysit for her today." he admitted, chuckling at the thought of babysitting as an 'appointment'. Since Kim moved in with Chase, he had treated Angela like she's his own granddaughter. He didn't like elaborating that Angela's not her daughter's baby, but her boyfriend's.

"You have to get going then. I have to get back anyway." she sighed, feeling relieved knowing that Kim is his daughter and not a girlfriend.

------

Jack couldn't wipe off his grin for the rest of his drive home. It was still plastered on his face when he got home, that Kim immediately noticed. "Hey, what's that on your face?"

"What?" he asked as his grin faded now.

"Uh, nothing." she replied innocently. It was very rare to see his Dad smiling and in a good mood. She wanted to tease him but she was already late for her appointment so she quickly told him where Angela's things are, when to feed her and not to forget to check if she's wet.

Just before leaving, she picked up Angela and whispered playfully, "If he tells you what happened, do tell me, okay?"

"Aren't you supposed to be going now?" Jack scowled.

"Okay, bye honey." she said softly to Angela. Then looking up at Jack, she said, "Nicole will pick her up later, she won't be long. See ya!" Picking up her car keys and her bag, she quickly left.

Monday, back at CTU ...

Jack arrived early at work, he decided to work on some reports for Hammond. It wasn't on his desk so he glanced at Chloé's desk. She wasn't in yet, so he walked over to her desk and found the folders with a post-it note addressed to him.

He opened one of the top folders, and inside was an envelope with his name handwritten on it. He flipped it over, on the flap, it read Mr & Mrs McBride and their address. Curious, he ripped it open, it was an invitation card - a birthday party for Mrs McBride next Saturday. Reading the details further, it was set for the evening and it's a black-tie event. Oh God, when was the last time he had been to an event like this? He has to check if his tux still fits him.

There was a knock on the door and it opened slightly. It was Chloé. Jack looked up and smiled. "Come in."

"Good morning." she said, a little surprised to find Jack in a very good mood. Without waiting for Jack to reply, she asked "Did you get the folders on my desk?"

"Yes I did."

"There's also an envelope there from Senator McBride."

"I got it." he said as he waved the card to her, smiling broadly this time.

"Okay" she quickly left and closed the door. Geez, he's really happy today, I don't even want to know why or how, Chloé thought.

Later that day, Jack received a call from Senator McBride. He wanted to know if Jack received the invitation. He apologized for the short notice, but he was hoping that Jack could make it. Jack felt honored to be invited to such a special occasion, and was quite hesitant at first, but when Bill said that Rachel would be there, he found himself immediately saying yes. Bill appreciated it, saying further that he felt he didn't thank him enough for what Jack had done.

It was a perfect opportunity to see Rachel again, Jack thought. He felt stupid for not even asking her if he could call her that Saturday. Now he couldn't wait for another Saturday but he'd try to call her before then, maybe tomorrow.

Tuesday at CTU ...

Jack wanted to call Rachel at work, he couldn't wait any longer. He didn't have her cell phone number nor her work number. Her work number should be easy to find, so he checked the online directory to find the Senator's office. It didn't take long before he eventually found the number. After his call was transferred a couple times, it was her voice, finally.

"Hello? It's Jack."

"Jack! How are you?" she smiled, glad that he finally called her.

"I'm good and you?" he said, happy to hear her voice.

"I'm okay." she said

"I was just calling about the invite I received from the Senator." Jack explained.

"Oh yes, Mrs McBride's birthday. You'll be coming, right?" she said, biting her lip. Did she sound desperate there for one moment?

"Of course, I will." he paused. Now, do I offer to pick her up or not, he thought. God, he's not prepared at all for this whole dating game.

"Great! So I'll see you there then. Listen, I have to go to a meeting, but I'm glad you called."

That's it then, that resolved itself, he thought. "Sure." he said and heard her hung up the phone, before he did so himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Friday night.

Restless. Sleepless. That's how he felt. As tired as he was, sleep evaded him. He turned and tossed incessantly as the night wore on, but still he lay awake. Eventually, sleep came during the wee hours of the morning. He dreamed of her beautiful face, of her brown eyes gazing at him lovingly ... she was laughing.

_"It's nice to hear you laugh, Jack." she said, caressing his cheek. He caught her hand and kissed her hand tenderly._

_"Aren't you gonna dance with me?" she asked. And they did. He held her hand and gently put his other hand on her back while her head nestled perfectly on his chest. She looked up at him only to graze his neck with her soft lips. He immediately felt his blood rush within him. His pulses were racing, fast. Then, he found themselves in bed, ripping each others clothes. His dream became increasingly erotic. It was bliss._

When he awoke, the sheets were tangled around him, he was sweating; he found himself aroused and amused. Grinning, he padded his way to the bathroom. If he could dream about her again every night, then sleep could be his new friend.

Saturday evening.

He had impatiently waited for this day to come and now he was a bunch of nerves. Looking at himself one last time in the mirror, he could hardly believe that it's Jack Bauer, the CTU agent but he felt good and hopeful ... again.

Moments later, he was driving along the driveway of the Senator's estate. A valet parker met him in front, he got off and handed out his key.

He quickly scanned the room in the hopes of seeing a familiar face. There … Rachel was standing beside a short, bald middle-aged man. That better not be her date. She saw him and smiled; excusing herself from the man, she approached him. Jack held his breath for one moment as he watched her, she looked gorgeous. She wore a halter-necked ivory gold dress, which hugged her curves nicely. She didn't wear any necklace, but had long, dangling earrings that emphasized her neck. 

Her knees suddenly felt weak as she approached Jack, quietly appreciating how handsome and gorgeous he looked. Her job as Senior Advisor to the Senator presented her with opportunities to meet eligible men that any desperate woman would have eagerly taken advantage of, but she had taken no interest ... then she met Jack Bauer. He was different and there was something about him that instantly drew her to him like a magnet. 

"Hi Jack! It's nice to see you again." she hugged him as she tried to resist the light scent of cologne or aftershave on him.

"It's nice to see you too." he said gently as he kissed her cheek. 

"Come, let's get something to drink." she said as they walked through the maze of guests.

A waiter came by and stopped, Jack picked a glass and handed it to her, then he took one for himself. He brought his glass to his lips, watching her prettyl face over the rim. For a brief moment, there was an awkward silence. 

"Let's go find Bill and Karen. She's dying to meet you." she started. But before they could find Mr and Mrs McBride, a familiar voice called from behind.

"Jack!"

Jack turned around, seeking the familiar voice. It was David Palmer.

"Mr President." he smiled as he shook his hand.

"I think we're past that now, Jack, just call me David."

"Okay" 

"I'm glad that you could come. Bill told me about that day in Santa Barbara. I told him that he was lucky you were there. You saved the day again, Jack." He paused. "Look at you. I hope you find this more comfortable than a flak jacket." he continued as he looked at Jack admiringly.

He chuckled. "I guess I'm more comfortable with the flak jacket."

Rachel quietly observed the exchange between Jack and David Palmer who is now retired. Palmer and McBride have been friends since they met at a Senate Committee. Much later, they finally found the McBride's. They both expressed how grateful they were of Jack's bravery on that fateful day…

When it was time for dinner, Jack and Rachel sat at the same table along with some of the Senator's staff. It was after dinner that a couple of women, (not her co-workers), at the table were openly flirting with him, that she felt a little uncomfortable. He himself wasn't used to the sudden female attention that he was getting, so he excused himself and headed to the men's room.

As he walked back towards their table, he noticed that most of the guests were no longer sitting, Rachel wasn't there either. So he decided to stand by one of the open doors that led in the back to get a breath of fresh air. He lit himself a cigarette in his mouth as he searched for Rachel. It didn't take long to spot her tall figure on the dance floor. He gazed at her as she was dancing with the young California congressman, Kevin Fannon. He was in his early 40's about his age, not bad-looking, he mused.

"Are you having fun yet?" it was Palmer who quietly crept next to him.

Startled, he turned and said. "I'm good."

"Why don't you dance with her?" David asked as the music started to fade.

Jack glanced at him, feigning innocence. "Who?"

"Oh come on, Jack. Don't fool me. I saw the way you look at her, like there was nobody else in this room." David teased.

Jack slightly lowered his head and dragged his hand through his hair, realizing how true it was. He found himself speechless for a moment then he looked up at David and smiled shyly, "I guess you caught me there."

"Go on, what are you waiting for?" David chuckled.

Composing himself, he quickly found an ashtray on one of the tables, crushed his cigarette and walked over to Rachel.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As she took a sip of wine, she couldn't help but watch Jack stride over to her through the maze of tables. His intense blue eyes caught her gaze over the rim of her glass; she immediately averted her gaze, feeling nervous all of a sudden. Her pulses were racing so she breathed in deeply in a futile attempt to calm her nerves. She felt herself flush, not because of the wine but definitely what this man is doing to her.

"You wanna dance?" he spoke softly as he held out his hand. Secretly grinning to himself, he immediately remembered his dream last night about their dance and ... no, stop it there, Jack.

"Sure" she almost whispered as she glanced at him nervously.

"I'm a little out of practice, so you have to help me out." he admitted shyly.

She chuckled softly as he placed his hand on the small of her back leading her to the dance floor.

When they were on the dance floor, he grasped her left hand with his right hand while he placed his left hand on her bare back. The moment she felt his hand on her back, she felt a little jolt at the warmth of his hands. Her high-heeled sandals added another three inches on her so she was almost as tall as him.  
They danced quietly, as they drew themselves closer together, turning their faces so their cheeks pressed together. They did not need to see each other's faces to feel the fire not in their eyes. She was almost certain that he could hear or feel her heart pounding with every step they took. Forgetting about their worries and lives for the moment, he brought their hands closer to his chest and closed his eyes.

_ Have you ever been in love  
Been in love so bad  
You'd do anything to make them understand  
Have you ever had someone steal your heart away  
You'd give anything to make them feel the same  
Have you ever searched for words to get you in their heart  
But you don't know what to say  
And you don't know where to start  
_

The silence between them dragged on, but it was a comfortable one that they felt content about it. They secretly savored the moment; they didn't want it to end. But it did, and they reluctantly left the dance floor when a fast number came on next.

They decided to head outside. Rachel heaved a sigh of relief as soon as they stepped out.

"You okay?" Jack looked at her inquisitively.

"Yeah, I'm all right. I'm just a little tired, I guess." she replied. "This past week has been so hectic. There's a conference scheduled next week ... this time with Powell."

"So you're going to DC then?"

"Yeah, first thing Monday." she paused. "Well, let's not talk about my work, I don't want to bore you." she turned and glanced at him.

"Sure"

They found a bench to sit on along the far side of the garden. It was hidden by a row of tall spruce trees lined up close to each other. Relieved to have left the noise of the party, they sat down. For a brief moment, neither one of them spoke; they seemed content with the stillness of the night.

She stole a casual glance over at him and felt her heart skip a beat when she caught him staring at her.

"You're so beautiful." he muttered softly, almost caressing her with his velvety voice while at the same time looking intently at her face, then slowly focusing on her mouth, then her eyes.

Holding her breath, she opened her mouth to say something but found herself at a loss for words. For a moment that felt like forever, their gazes locked, her brown eyes with his blue eyes. Leaning closer, he kissed her lips, tenderly at first. Then as he framed her face with his hands, he deepened the kiss. He pulled back slightly and gazed at her face, her eyes were still closed. Then she slowly opened her eyes ...for a moment, they gazed at each other. Deeply. Hungrily. They knew they wanted more, so they kissed again. Jack leaned much closer when suddenly, she pulled back and uttered a squeal as she lost her balance on the bench. He quickly wrapped his arm around her waist and caught her.

"Oh God, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" he asked, a frown etched on his forehead.

"Yeah, I'm okay." she giggled, noting the seriousness in his face. "Come on, Jack. I'm fine." She chuckled as he chuckled too.

"Is everything okay down there?" a male voice called out.

"Yeah, we're okay." Jack called back, chuckling.

"Let's go back inside before anything we'll both regret happens."

She agreed and they stood up and headed back inside.

"Tell me Jack, what made you go back to CTU again?" she paused. "I mean, after your wife died."

"I never did have any plans of going back. But I can't turn my back when I realized that it wasn't about my wife anymore. There's so much at stake, and being selfish is hardly to be at that time. I have to admit though that going back somehow helped me forget the pain, the anger and the guilt of losing Teri, not permanently but it gave me hope to move on."

He let out a sigh as he turned to her. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but, how did your husband die?"

"He died in a plane crash while he was on a relief mission to Angola." she lied, turning her gaze away from him.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"I tried to move on but it was difficult to go on working, staying there, since we were always on a mission together. So I decided to leave Geneva and quit my job altogether. I moved back here last year."

He remained quiet and glanced at her eyes as they became sad and distant.

"I thought that getting away from it all will make the pain go away. I think it did help but …" she trailed as the memory of it all brought tears to her eyes. She quickly wiped them off. She couldn't go any further, how could she tell him? They hardly knew each other, yet she felt comfortable being with him.

"I'm sorry for bringing this up. You don't have to go on." He said softly, taking her hand gently in his. "I understand."

His hands felt warm, they felt good, she thought. She felt a gentle squeeze and she didn't let go -- she felt a sudden mix of emotions she hadn't felt in a long time.

He stared into her eyes as they slowly smiled back at him again. Why did he feel comfortable with this woman? It gave him an odd feeling like he had known her for a long time.

Acknowledgement: Song lyrics from 'Have You Ever' by Brandy

To my readers: Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. I appreciate it. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They mingled with other guests but they always ended up finding each other.

"Why? It's you again." she chuckled softly.

He chuckled. "Yes, I'm afraid so. You have to get used to it ... it's a long night."

They obviously enjoyed each other's company. Clearly, there was an attraction between them that they could not admit. Not just yet.

"I'd like to see you again, if that's okay with you?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Her lips curled into a smile as she eyed him with a glint of pleasure.

"Is tomorrow so soon?" He cocked his eyebrows.

"No, that's fine. We can have dinner at my place and watch a movie maybe?"

"Sure, that will be nice." he answered, flashing a warm, broad smile at her.

"Hey Rach! I've been looking for you." It was Helen, her assistant and her close friend. She was in her late 20s, has auburn hair, enormous, green eyes. She's British but have been in the United States for ten years. Rachel excused herself and sauntered over to Helen.

"Listen, my brother was on his way home and his car broke down, I need to pick him up. Is it okay if Max takes you home?" Helen lived close by her house so they shared a ride to get here. Max was another co-worker from the Senator's office.

"Go ahead, Helen. I'll be fine." Rachel said

"Are you sure?" Helen asked as she flashed a knowing look towards Jack. "He can take you home, can't he?" she whispered. "God, Rach! Why do you always get the good-looking men? I'd love to take him home if I were you!" she snickered.

"Stop! He's gonna hear you." Rachel said quietly.

"Okay, tell me about it before you leave Monday." She winked at Rachel, then waved at Jack.

"It was nice meeting you, Jack." she spoke louder for Jack to hear.

"Nice to meet you too." He waved back at her as she hugged Rachel and turned to leave.

He overheard Helen so he volunteered, feeling grateful that he can keep her company much longer. She agreed and told Max that Jack will take her home instead.  
The drive to Rachel's house was filled with friendly chatter ... talks about what they liked and disliked. They discovered that they preferred being at home, a relief from their hectic jobs. He had told her how Kim convinced him to take cooking lessons months before she moved in with Chase. And he admitted that he enjoyed it, while Rachel also admitted that she loved cooking. They further talked about how they enjoyed music; he recently started playing the guitar again. He was surprised that Rachel did skydive and liked it. She only did it once, but she would like to do it again. He promised to do it with her someday.

Moments later, they arrived at her house. Jack helped her out of his SUV and led her to the door.

"Do you want to come in for coffee before you go?" she offered without thinking where this will take them. She had a wonderful evening with this man and she couldn't get enough. She had to admit though that she could be making a rash attempt to 'move on'.

"Yeah, sure." He replied as she led him inside.

When he was inside, he took off his jacket and laid it on one of the armchairs. Briefly scanning the living room, he noticed a row of picture frames on the mantle. There was one with Walsh and a younger Rachel in her teens. And a picture of a woman, who resembled Rachel, definitely her mother, with the Statue of Liberty in the background. There was a stack of pictures on the table, he thought he recognized one picture on top of the pile, so he walked over and picked it up. It was him and Walsh, he smiled, it must have been taken after he passed his training.

"I was fixing my Dad's stuff and I saw a bunch of old CTU photos in his office. There's a few with you there." Rachel called out to him from the kitchen.

He continued going through the pictures, stopping sometimes to look at something he remembered. When he saw a picture of himself and Nina with Walsh, he quickly flipped it to the bottom of the pile. He stopped himself from looking any further. He didn't need to see any of this now, he couldn't afford to ruin this night with 'ghosts' from his past.

A few minutes later, Rachel came back to the living room with a tray of coffee, creamer and sugar. He noticed that she had already removed her sandals and was walking with her bare feet. There's just something attractive with bare feet, he thought as he smiled secretly to himself.

"Cream on your coffee?"

"Yeah, no sugar. Thanks." She handed him his cup, then prepared her own.

They sipped their coffees quietly, when Jack saw the piano against the wall, he asked, "Do you play?"

"Yeah." she admitted shyly.

They walked towards the piano and he found a couple of music sheets on top. It looked like she's writing a song, he thought.

"Did you write this?" he pointed to the sheets.

"Um, yes I did, but it's not finished yet."

"Can you play it?" he smiled warmly.

It was a gorgeous smile, how can she resist? She had always loved singing even when she was young. Writing music became a hobby for her, it was a form of healing for her. She wasn't prepared to do this, but she relented anyway. Sure, anything for you Jack, she mused. She sat down and started tapping the keys on the piano as she sang.

_Every time I look at you, the world just melts away  
All my troubles, all my fears dissolve in your affection  
You see me at my weakest but you take me as I am  
When I fall you offer me a softer place to land  
You stay the course, you hold the line, keep it all together  
You're the one true thing I know I can believe in  
You're all the things that I desire  
You save me, you complete me  
You're the one true thing I know I can believe in  
_

He leaned over the side of the piano and listened as he watched her with admiration. Her heart was pounding like crazy, she felt like it was expanding rapidly up to her throat, she thought it was louder than her voice. Oh God, will you stop looking at me, Jack? she thought. When it was finally over, she breathed in deeply, relieved that she made it.

"That was wonderful. I liked it." he beamed at her.

"Thanks." she said, quite breathless. She stood up and walked towards the couch while he followed closely behind.

They sat down, inches away from each other. He laid his hands on her shoulders and she turned to look at him. Their eyes locked as he gently lifted her chin, his heart beating rapidly. He dipped his head as if to kiss her but paused to smell her perfume. He glanced at her slightly parted mouth, then up to her eyes, closed now. He also closed his and lightly kissed her, slowly coaxing her lips apart. Then he moaned as he deepened the kiss, framing her face with his hands.

Pulling back for a moment, he whispered, "God, I want you!", then kissed her again.

He ran his hands over her body, then cupped her breast beneath her dress. Still with her eyes closed, she returned his kiss hungrily, passionately … when a cloud of darkness engulfed her. It was no longer gentle and soft; she was in pain, she was fighting and pushing this 'beast' then she yelled and pushed hard, "No, stop it!" _'It' _came off her immediately to her astonishment. She quickly she opened her eyes -- she was shocked to see it was Jack in front of her.

He immediately stopped and pulled away, feeling dejected. He stood up and turned away from her, not letting her see the rejection in his eyes.

"I'd better go. It's late." He took his jacket and walked towards the door. She stood up and followed him to the door.

"Jack, it's not like that." She explained, at a loss for words. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

He stopped without turning to look at her. "It's been a long night, get yourself some sleep."

She tried to stop him but how? She didn't even know where to start. It had been the perfect evening; it was tender, romantic and sweet. And she ruined it in her desperation to "move on" or "lighten up," like what they kept telling her at the counseling meets. She had dated once, a few months ago, but she never felt the connection like she did with Jack, so it never went this far. She had sensed a mutual attraction and now she had hurt him because she thought she was ready for "it". She brought her hands to her face and sobbed uncontrollably, as the feelings she'd been dreading haunted her again. It was too much to bear alone. Her "Pandora's box" lay open again, its demons shrieking at her -- will she ever shut it close completely?

Acknowledgment: Song lyrics from 'Push' by Sarah McLachlan

Thanks for reading and your comments are always welcome.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

She cried herself to sleep that night, feeling angry, frustrated, utterly alone and haunted by the "ghosts" from her past. She would never get over _it_, she thought. He would never see her again. He had been hurt too many times in the past, why would he waste time on her?

The next morning, she couldn't bring herself to stay at home. He was still there - she could feel his warming smile, hear his soft, velvety voice … Feeling more miserable, she stormed out of her house and decided to go for a drive. With no particular place to go, she just drove -- eventually, leading her to the same place that she had always been when she felt miserable. The fortune teller's. She had always seen the _place_ on her way to work, but she hadn't seen any need to visit until today.

Years ago, she and her friend had always gone to one when they had "men" trouble. They had always felt a sense of hope after seeing one; somehow, it did ease their pain. There was one last time, years ago when they've gone together to a renowned one - featured in the Cosmopolitan magazine. They claimed he was one of the best in the LA area. They waited months to see him. When it was time to see him, he actually predicted an almost eerily similar fortune for them, that they thought he was just a fake. He predicted that they will get married and have 2 kids. Months later, it was she who got married first, then her friend next. But the kids didn't come for her, her friend in the meantime now had 2 kids.

There was one peculiar prediction that she could vividly remember -- he spoke about a future son-in-law whose hand was cut. She found that very bizarre about the hand -- that he kept repeating, like he himself couldn't comprehend.

Moments later, she was at the door. She was greeted by a petite, middle-aged lady, whose name was Lillian.

She dealt with the tarot cards, and after a moment, she asked, "Is there anything in particular that concerns you?" 

"Just tell me what you see, but uh ... don't tell me if it's bad." she answered as Lillian spread the cards. 

Lillian started by telling her astrological sign, which is Aries. It was true. Then she continued further.

"You're not happy. But you give that impression that you are, you're very good at pretending. You don't trust easily. You're concerned of finding another man that you can trust. You have this secret." She frowned and glanced at her. "It was awful, you've been hurt."

Astonished by this revelation, Rachel interrupted her. "Please, don't tell me anything about that." She knew too well what it was -- that's the last thing she wanted to hear at this time.

"Okay" she nodded and continued. "I see a man." 

"Did I meet him already?" She could barely contain her excitement.

"Yes, you did a long time ago, but you were both hurt, in pain and angry." Lillian replied. "You met him again, recently. He had been through a lot. It was awful. Horrific." Lillian winced like she was in pain. "What does he do?"

"Uh, he's a government agent."

"Ah, that explains it." she nodded, pleased with her prediction. Then she turned and opened another card.

"Hmmm, I smell something. Did he take drugs?"

"I don't know." Rachel narrowed her eyes and gave her a curious look.

"Yes he did. It's so strong." She sniffed like she smelled something. "You like him very much. He had been deeply hurt before. He was married but he's alone now." Lillian eyed her carefully, hoping an affirmation from her. Rachel breathed in deeply and nodded.

"He had deceived other people. But he's a caring person, so much love to give, but he doesn't trust easily."

"Since I met him a week ago, I felt that he's going to change my life. I met him again yesterday. We had a nice time, but I've done something to hurt him. I'm scared to reveal _my secret _to him."

"This secret you're keeping really scares you, you feel ashamed. But he will understand you. He cares for you, but he's not ready yet." 

"Was there anything else that you'd like to know?" Lillian asked.

"No, that will be all, I guess." Rachel replied.

"Remember, these are your cards today, it could be different tomorrow. You can change it but you have to be there." 

Moments later, Rachel eagerly drove back home. She felt a little hopeful knowing that he cares for her, whether it's true or not. She'd try to call him and apologize. If he accepts, then she would do her best to reveal _'it'. _Otherwise, she would have to accept that it wasn't meant to be, no matter how much she wanted it to be.

When she got home, it took her a while to pick up the phone and make that call immediately. She debated on what to say, but finally after giving it a lot of thought, she picked up the phone and dialed his home number. It rang four times before the answering machine picked up, but she didn't leave a message.

Meanwhile, Jack was at home … Chase and Kim and Angela visited him like they always do on the weekends.

He heard the phone ring and walked over to check who it was; it was Rachel's number on the caller ID. He decided not to pick it up; he didn't want to speak with her just yet. He let out a sigh of relief when she hung up without leaving a message. What happened last night was a cruel rejection. It didn't matter whether they felt a connection. He thought that he let his guard down too soon. He was sorry that he made such an attempt; he would probably never do it again. It was sad that it had to be her; she was such a nice person.

It was early Monday when she called again, about five o'clock in the morning. He was in the shower when it rang. He had remembered that she would be leaving for DC early that Monday, so she must have called before she left for the airport. This time, she left him a message ...

"Jack, this is Rachel. I know it's early, but I needed to tell you this before I go. I feel terribly sorry about the other night. It wasn't my intention to hurt you. It wasn't you. I wish there's a better way to explain it, but it's hard. I hope to speak with you ... uh soon but if you'd rather not, I'll understand. Good-bye."

Thursday at CTU ...

It had been four days since that night. He had called her yesterday at her office with the intention of keeping the call short, but they had said that she would not be back from Washington, DC till Friday.

He had to admit to himself that he misses her. He couldn't resist opening her profile just to get a glimpse of her picture. She had not said much about her husband, and this made him a little curious.

A few minutes later, he found his file. He knew this is plain snooping on his part but he had sensed something was wrong, the way she had talked about him, like she was hiding something.

His file showed a picture of a man with blond hair, 41 years old, Dutch nationality. He did work at UNHCR during the same period like Rachel did. Looking further, there was a separate report written about his death. He opened it and what he read next completely stunned him. The plane crash that Rachel told him about was a complete lie.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Rachel's husband didn't die in a plane crash. He had been ambushed during a relief mission to move Sierra Leonean refugees in Guinea. Days later, he and the driver were found dead. He had died of multiple wounds left untreated, evidently caused by torture. The perpetrators were never found, believed to be from a Liberian militia group. There had also been a report of an unidentified woman with him before they left the border villages, but their convoy had made other stops. It had been assumed that the woman wasn't with him when he was ambushed. No further details were reported about the woman.

He felt a lump in his throat as he recollected how he himself was almost in the same situation. If he had not been revived after the lethal injections, he would have ended like him too.

He felt so sorry for Rachel. He couldn't blame her for lying about her husband's death. He clearly understood why oftentimes you have to lie in the hopes of forgetting the pain and the grief. What a horrific experience, he thought, heartbreaking what she had to go through ... losing her husband under such dreadful circumstances only to find herself a few years later with another devastating loss -- her father.

Now, he desperately wanted to see her and wrap his arms around her -- kiss her and make it all go away. He felt guilty for not calling her back sooner after she had called to say she was sorry. The call he made the other day to her office was such a lame attempt to apologize. If he had really wanted to talk to her, he would have left a message that he had called just so she knew.

Friday afternoon at CTU ...

Jack was reading some reports when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, it was Tony.

"Yeah, Tony, what's up?"

"Jack, I'm afraid there's some bad news." Tony paused. "News just came in that Senator McBride's chartered plane crashed as it landed at a local airport in New Jersey, it left DC a few hours ago. The McBride's were slightly injured, but a couple of his staffers were critically injured." 

"Oh my God! Who ...uh .." He stammered as he squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for more bad news.

"Jack" Tony began. He knew that Jack was seeing Rachel. "We don't have any details yet as to who else was on board but they were certain that they were his staff. It could have been worse you know. But thank God, they were almost on the ground." He waited for Jack to reply but when he didn't answer, he continued.

"I'm sorry Jack. Is there anything I can do?"

"It's okay, Tony. Thanks for letting me know." He hung up the phone and squeezed the bridge of his nose, leaning back against his chair. This couldn't be happening, he thought. He needed to know if she was on that plane. She never mentioned that they would fly to New Jersey. Of course, the idiot that he was, he never asked what her plans were at that time since he never called her back. So he tried to call the Senator's office hoping someone would know.

After being transferred by the operator, a female voice answered the phone. 

"Rachel Zwart's office. How can I help you?" it was Helen.

"Hello. This is Jack Bauer. Is Rachel there by any chance?" Helen immediately recognized his voice, and smiled at the thought of his voice close to her ear. "No, she's not here."

"I'm sure you've already heard about the plane crash earlier. Was she on that flight?" Jack asked, concern in his voice.

Helen had just found out about the plane crash minutes ago. Rachel had confided in her about that night, the phone call she made before she left for DC and how she waited and waited for him to call. Her mind quickly raced. God, forgive me! I know this is pure evil, but I have to do this, she thought.

"Uh, she had mentioned that the Senator invited her to visit New York. But I have no idea if she decided to go or not. I have not heard from her since yesterday." She paused. "I'm so worried if she had really gone with the Senator or not. God, I hope she isn't on that flight!" She added as she bit her lower lip.

"Yeah, so am I."

Helen flashed a wicked grin. "I have tried calling her home and her cell phone just now, but there was no answer." She muttered, further rubbing it in.

"Okay, we'll just have to wait for some news. Let's hope she's all right." 

"Yeah, I hope she is."

As he hung up the phone, he had to admit that he got more worried now. He recollected how someone told him the other day that she will be back today. But she could have easily changed her mind and gone with the Senator. He called her at home but it was the answering machine that picked up. Then he also tried her cell number, but it rang incessantly, her voice mail didn't even pick up.

Filled with regret and guilt, he decided to leave work early, he couldn't get any work done anyway. He quickly grabbed his keys and headed to the garage. He hopped onto his SUV and drove out of the CTU lot, not certain where he was heading. But later, he found himself pulling into Rachel's driveway, alongside a Lexus SUV, probably hers, he thought. He never knew what she drove since that last time he took her home.

He quickly got off his SUV. Slamming its door shut, he started walking towards the front door, when he heard someone call from the back of the house. 

"Kevin, is that you? Did you pick up the roses for me?" 

It was her. It was definitely Rachel's voice.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

He stopped in his tracks and felt a sudden heaviness in the pit of his stomach. Kevin? Who is he? the congressman? and roses for her? A mix of emotions swept over him -- relieved that she was not on the plane yet at the same time he felt a pang of jealousy that she could be seeing Kevin. Another stupid move, Jack! Great, that's just great! He felt like an intruder, so he turned to leave, feeling dejected.

She heard someone out front but when she didn't hear anyone respond, she walked out front and was surprised to see him, "Jack. Don't go." She sprinted after him and just stopped a few steps away from him, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

Breathing in heavily, he stopped without looking at her; he was quite at a loss for words to say.

"Uh ..." she started, running her hands through her hair. "I thought you were Kevin. He's my nephew. I sent him to pick-up the roses from the nursery …" she rambled. She was certain that he had heard her earlier and when she saw him leave, she immediately suspected that he thought it was Kevin, the congressman. She wanted to clarify that right away, no more secrets, she said to herself.

"Rachel" He spoke softly as he finally turned to look at her.

She was wearing a white tank top and a pair of denim shorts. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, some dirt smudged on her cheek. The sight of her casually dressed and dishevelled brought a smile to his face.

She let out a sigh of relief as she smiled back and approached him. "Jack, I'm so sorry."

"I'm so sorry too." He finally managed to talk as he brushed off the dirt from her face.

She hugged him as he hugged her back. Her heart was pounding as she fought back tears from falling down her face. "No Jack, it's my fault. I didn't think you would call nor see me again."

"I was a jerk for not calling you back." He said as he pulled back. "You haven't heard yet, have you?"

"Heard what?" she asked curiously.

"The Senator's plane crashed a while ago. The McBride's were slightly hurt but a couple of people were seriously hurt."

"Oh God! It's Amanda and Chris." She said referring to the two staffers. "How awful! Oh my God!" she put her hand over her mouth in shock. "I hope they're going to be all right. Where are they now, do you know?"

"They could be in any of the nearby hospitals where they landed in New Jersey. We don't have any details yet since I just heard about it a while ago." He stopped and turned his face away, swallowing hard as he recalled how he thought she was on that plane.

She noticed the worried look on his face. "Jack, are you okay?"

He caressed her cheek gently. "God, Rachel, I thought you were on that plane. I've been trying to call you and you weren't answering." He said as he realized now why she wasn't answering.

"I was in the back, gardening. I didn't hear the phone ringing." She paused. "I caught the last flight yesterday and got here early this morning. I decided to take the day off …" she trailed, as she was about to say because I've been feeling miserable since you never called me.

He took her left hand and interlaced it with his right hand. "I missed you, Rachel." He muttered as he brought her hand to his lips.

"I missed you too." She replied feeling a little jolt as he kissed her hand. Glancing up at him, he hadn't shaved, there was a shadow of a one-day stubble on his jaw. Definitely sexy, she mused.

"Can we start all over again?" he smiled broadly.

"Yes, I'd love that." She nodded but deep inside she felt uncertain, scared and nervous. She had almost given up and was about to crawl back into her shell again. But now, she is faced with the inevitable -- telling him the truth. She had feared remembering it all again and there's no denying that she had to do this if she really wanted to _"move on"._

That evening, they decided to order some take-out dinner.

Rachel had been bracing herself all evening for that right moment to talk to him about _"it". _Did she really need to tell him now? Isn't it too soon? But she knew that if it ever happens again, she'd never forgive herself when he would stop seeing her altogether. She had sensed it herself, that there's something about him -- that he would understand -- and that would make it easy for her to get this big load off her shoulders.

He had sensed her anxiety the whole time that evening. She was by the sink finishing up with the dishes, when he approached her and touched the back of her waist that she jumped and quickly turned to him, startled.

"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to do that." She apologized as she hastily ripped a piece of paper towel and wiped her hands.

"Rachel, is something wrong?" He narrowed his eyes.

"I'm okay." she hesitated. "Why don't we sit down" she walked to the living room while he followed closely behind her.

"Jack, I'm not sure if this is the right time but I need to tell you something." she started, as she collapsed into the couch.

He sat on the couch close to her. "Yeah, what is it?" he frowned, looking intently at her.

"I lied to you about my husband … I mean, how he died." She looked at her hands, trying to avoid his gaze.

"He didn't die in a plane crash like I told you." She paused. "We were on a relief mission in Sierra Leone, to move refugees to Guinea when we were ambushed. We were the last one in the convoy."

"We were held captive for days." She continued. "He was beaten right in front of me…" she put her hand over her mouth and cried.

"I'm so sorry." He placed his arm around her shoulders and embraced her.

Pulling away, he lifted her chin. "Look, are you sure you want to talk about this now?"

She nodded, wiping off her tears. "It's been so long. I feared remembering this, but it will never go away."

She continued. "They separated us. They took him away, I don't know where… And that was the last time I saw him." She said as tears fell on her face again. "I was left alone; I was tired so I slept, only to be woken up by this man. I fought him hard but he was too strong for me..." she paused. His instincts told him what she would say next and he couldn't bear to hear it nor let her say it, but she continued. "He raped me, Jack." she sobbed.

"Oh my God, Rachel! Don't say anything anymore." He hugged her tightly as he felt a lump in his throat.

"Jack." she pulled back as she wiped her tears.

"Sshh" He hushed her by putting his finger over her lips. "I'm terribly sorry Rachel. How could something so horrible happen to you?"

She heaved a little sigh and continued. "It took me a long time to heal. Then I moved here just to get away from it all ... I'm so sorry for telling you all this." She cried. "I thought that I could go on without telling you because I thought I had gotten over it, but I got jumpy that other night. I'm just not so sure if I can get past this, it's so hard, Jack." she looked up at him noticing his eyes were a bit teary.

"I understand, it takes a long time to heal, and you can't go it alone." He said softly as he stroked her hair. "I'm here, Rach. Don't worry."

I'm falling for you already, and there's nothing that will stop that, he thought. Grasping her neck gently with his right hand, he dipped his head to kiss her cheek. She turned and looked at his lips, she couldn't help but long for the feel of those lips on hers again. She kissed him gently on the lips and pulled back.

He smiled slightly, his pulse was racing; he didn't want to rush her this time.

"Can you stay a while?" she asked feeling a little tired.

"Sure"

Moments later, she was asleep so he carried her to the bedroom and tucked her in. He sat beside her on the bed for a while and looked at her sleeping. There was a small furry teddy bear on her bedside table. When he picked it up, he noticed that there was a silver baby rattle behind it. He couldn't fight back the tears anymore. Clutching the teddy bear close, he quietly wept ... for Teri, for their unborn child, but mostly for Rachel because she had to relive it all over again.

------------------------

Thanks so much for reading. I appreciate your feedbacks. :) One more chapter soon ...


End file.
